Hacker News Reader

Comment by sputknick | Hacker News Reader

Personal Anecdote: when I was in an office (before current WFH) and I was mentally exhausted I would go down to the gym, slam slam balls into the floor for 2 minutes without stopping, maybe take a 30 second cold shower, then return to work. Super refreshing and I was gone from my desk a grand total of like 8 minutes.

View on HN

A quick round of pushups, sit-ups, and air squats is my WFH exercise routine. Do it whenever you’re feeling slow Fromm sitting and it will get your body re-started.

Can be done in 1-2 minutes right next to the desk.

It doesn’t replace a true gym trip but it comes much closer than I ever would have thought before I started doing it.

I used to go outside of my office and sprint as fast as I could for as long as I could, then cool down with a walk around the block. Then I switched jobs and everyone could see me if I did this so I got embarrassed and stopped. I feel like it really helped, maybe I need to get back into the habit, especially since I’m working from home.

Going from a long period of time sitting to immediately perform an explosive exercise is a recipe for getting injured. Muscles and joints will suffer from it on the long term.

Don't be afraid to set a good example!

did you try other high intensity exercise and found that slamming balls is superior, or slamming balls was just the first thing that came to mind?

I don’t think it really matters all that much. Doing anything is better than doing nothing.

Just do any exercise that’s convenient and don’t overthink the details. Make it as easy as possible to get up and do. The more complicated you make it, the less you’ll actually do it.

I tried sprinting on the treadmill and found that too aerobic, and I would sweat at my desk afterwards, and I tried bicep curls and found that not aerobic enough and really just an arm workout.

> slam slam balls

At first I didn’t realise this was a verb followed by a noun, and thought to myself “damn, these slam slam balls sound like fun!”

I'm on the top floor so my version is to casually walk up and down 4 flights of stairs 3-4 times and then shower. The entire process takes 15-20 minutes. I feel so much better afterwards.

Sadly I don't frequent a gym anymore, but this is an idea I'd never have thought of.

How did you arrive at this ritual?

It was kind of a Goldilocks aerobic exercise. I tried sprinting on the treadmill and found that too aerobic, and I would sweat at my desk afterwards, and I tried bicep curls and found that not aerobic enough and really just an arm workout.

I think the specific exercise may be unique but the act usually isn’t. For instance I do the same with a pair of select tech dumbbells. I find that I have an afternoon sleepiness that is dissipated by this.

A heavy bag nearby is almost ideal too.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com